THE INSIDER AUTHORITY ON GATOR SPORTS

Gators’ bats batter Beavers, 10-2

When Nolan Fontana’s leadoff home run left his bat in the first inning of Saturday’s NCAA Gainesville Regional baseball winners’ bracket game, his Florida teammates, especially Josh Adams, had a feeling how the night was going to go for the Gators against Oregon State.

“That momentum just carried throughout the whole game with him leading it off like that,” Adams said.

The Gators then scored seven runs in the third inning and cruised to a 10-2 victory Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. The victory was Florida’s second in the regional and sent the Gators (44-15) into Sunday night’s championship game against the winner of the 1 p.m. elimination game between Florida Atlantic (36-23) and Oregon State (32-23).

Florida’s big inning almost ended before it could get started. Tyler Thompson singled to lead off and Fontana and Bryson Smith walked to load the bases against Oregon State starter Sam Gaviglio. But Preston Tucker lined a 1-0 pitch right back at Gaviglio, who then threw to first to double up Smith, and it looked like Gaviglio and the Beavers might escape unharmed.

“It was kind of deflating,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “All of a sudden, you’re left scratching your head.”

But as he has done so many times in winning the SEC Freshman of the Year honor, Austin Maddox stepped up and singled to right, scoring Thompson and Fontana. Half of Maddox’s team-leading 68 RBI have come with two outs.

After Matt den Dekker was intentionally walked, Mike Zunino lined a double in the left-center gap, scoring both Maddox and den Dekker. Brian Johnson followed by scorching a triple down the right-field line, scoring Zunino and the rout was on.

Adams then drove a towering two-run home run into the bullpen in right, pushing Florida’s lead to 8-0 after three innings. Tyler Thompson tripled to right, ending Gaviglio’s night, but Fontana grounded out to end the inning – seven runs with two outs on six hits.

“The hits just started coming,” O’Sullivan said. “Our offense did a really good job in the third.”

Matt den Dekker added a fifth-inning solo home run that went over the right-field scoreboard. The Gators capped their scoring with a ninth-inning RBI single by Daniel Pigott.

Adams ended the night going 2-for-5 with two RBI. His second hit was a double that hit a foot from the top of the wall. He later flew out to the center field warning track. There have been multiple points earlier this season when the two-time All-SEC second baseman thought he was turning things around, but Saturday night lifted his confidence at the right time. Florida couldn’t be happier that Adams has found his batting eye.

“The ball … finally,” Adams joked when asked what he saw at the plate. “My first at-bat I could tell they were going to try and throw me away the rest of the game. I just committed that way and put good swings on the ball.”

Starting left-hander Alex Panteliodis (10-2) wasn’t as sharp as usual. He fell behind hitters, which elevated his pitch count above where it usually is. He went five innings, giving up five hits and two runs while tying his season high with eight strikeouts. He previously struck out eight on March 5 at Miami. He became the first Florida pitcher to win 10 games since Alan Horne did in 2005.

“I mainly threw fastballs tonight and worked both sides of the plate,” Panteliodis said. “The fastball inside worked a lot tonight. They were looking away with two strikes and I got it by them.”

Greg Larson relieved Panteliodis, working two innings without allowing a base runner and recording three strikeouts. Junior Matt Campbell worked a scoreless eighth inning, and senior Chas Spottswood finished the game off with a scoreless ninth inning.

In four innings of work for the Florida bullpen, Oregon State managed just two baserunners. On the night, the four Florida pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed two walks.

“Once again, it all starts on the mound for us,” O’Sullivan said. “Our pitching was really good.”

Sunday, freshman left-hander Brian Johnson (5-4, 4.41 ERA) is expected to get the start for Florida against the Florida Atlantic-Oregon State winner.

When Nolan Fontana’s leadoff home run left his bat in the first inning of Saturday’s NCAA Gainesville Regional baseball winners’ bracket game, his Florida teammates, especially Josh Adams, had a feeling how the night was going to go for the Gators against Oregon State.

“That momentum just carried throughout the whole game with him leading it off like that,” Adams said.

The Gators then scored seven runs in the third inning and cruised to a 10-2 victory Saturday night at McKethan Stadium. The victory was Florida’s second in the regional and sent the Gators (44-15) into Sunday night’s championship game against the winner of the 1 p.m. elimination game between Florida Atlantic (36-23) and Oregon State (32-23).

Florida’s big inning almost ended before it could get started. Tyler Thompson singled to lead off and Fontana and Bryson Smith walked to load the bases against Oregon State starter Sam Gaviglio. But Preston Tucker lined a 1-0 pitch right back at Gaviglio, who then threw to first to double up Smith, and it looked like Gaviglio and the Beavers might escape unharmed.

“It was kind of deflating,” Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan said. “All of a sudden, you’re left scratching your head.”

But as he has done so many times in winning the SEC Freshman of the Year honor, Austin Maddox stepped up and singled to right, scoring Thompson and Fontana. Half of Maddox’s team-leading 68 RBI have come with two outs.

After Matt den Dekker was intentionally walked, Mike Zunino lined a double in the left-center gap, scoring both Maddox and den Dekker. Brian Johnson followed by scorching a triple down the right-field line, scoring Zunino and the rout was on.

Adams then drove a towering two-run home run into the bullpen in right, pushing Florida’s lead to 8-0 after three innings. Tyler Thompson tripled to right, ending Gaviglio’s night, but Fontana grounded out to end the inning – seven runs with two outs on six hits.

“The hits just started coming,” O’Sullivan said. “Our offense did a really good job in the third.”

Matt den Dekker added a fifth-inning solo home run that went over the right-field scoreboard. The Gators capped their scoring with a ninth-inning RBI single by Daniel Pigott.

Adams ended the night going 2-for-5 with two RBI. His second hit was a double that hit a foot from the top of the wall. He later flew out to the center field warning track. There have been multiple points earlier this season when the two-time All-SEC second baseman thought he was turning things around, but Saturday night lifted his confidence at the right time. Florida couldn’t be happier that Adams has found his batting eye.

“The ball … finally,” Adams joked when asked what he saw at the plate. “My first at-bat I could tell they were going to try and throw me away the rest of the game. I just committed that way and put good swings on the ball.”

Starting left-hander Alex Panteliodis (10-2) wasn’t as sharp as usual. He fell behind hitters, which elevated his pitch count above where it usually is. He went five innings, giving up five hits and two runs while tying his season high with eight strikeouts. He previously struck out eight on March 5 at Miami. He became the first Florida pitcher to win 10 games since Alan Horne did in 2005.

“I mainly threw fastballs tonight and worked both sides of the plate,” Panteliodis said. “The fastball inside worked a lot tonight. They were looking away with two strikes and I got it by them.”

Greg Larson relieved Panteliodis, working two innings without allowing a base runner and recording three strikeouts. Junior Matt Campbell worked a scoreless eighth inning, and senior Chas Spottswood finished the game off with a scoreless ninth inning.

In four innings of work for the Florida bullpen, Oregon State managed just two baserunners. On the night, the four Florida pitchers recorded 12 strikeouts and allowed two walks.

“Once again, it all starts on the mound for us,” O’Sullivan said. “Our pitching was really good.”

Sunday, freshman left-hander Brian Johnson (5-4, 4.41 ERA) is expected to get the start for Florida against the Florida Atlantic-Oregon State winner.